"Well, well, well… this might actually be fun," Ethan said with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
He flexed slightly, noticing how much smoother and more responsive his muscles felt.
Every movement carried a strange lightness, as if his body had finally begun to catch up with his will.
Spinning sharply, he drew his dagger in one fluid motion and drove it straight into the eye of a charging goblin.
[Congratulations! You have slain a snow goblin and devoured its bloodline]
[You have received the common trait Improved Eyesight LV1]
[Congratulations! You have slain a snow goblin and devoured its bloodline]
[You have received the common trait Cold Resistance LV1]
[Congratulations! You have slain a snow goblin and devoured its bloodline]
[You have received the common trait Poison Dart LV1]
Ethan didn't pause.
He kept moving, his blade flashing as he cut through one goblin after another. The cave echoed with shrill cries and the wet sound of steel meeting flesh.
The more he killed, the more he felt it, his body changing.
Strength seeped into his limbs. His breathing steadied. The frailty that once clung to him like a curse began to fade, replaced by something far more resilient.
Soon, he no longer felt weak.
[Warning! You are critically tired. It is advised you rest!]
Ethan ignored it.
His entire body screamed in protest. Muscles burned, his joints ached, and every breath came heavier than the last. Yet, he refused to stop.
He couldn't stop.
Instead, he pushed forward, killing without hesitation.
Again.
And again.
And again.
His world narrowed to a single purpose.
Kill.
[You continue to fight while under excessive strain!]
[Your physique is improving exponentially]
The notifications rang in his ears, but they felt distant, almost meaningless.
Ethan had entered a state beyond thought—a zone where instinct ruled and pain no longer mattered.
Spinning on his heel, he swung his dagger in a wide arc, cleanly severing a goblin's head.
It was something he wouldn't have been capable of before.
A goblin rushed him from behind and slammed a crude club into his back.
Ethan grunted from the impact.
But that was all.
No damage. No collapse.
Just a momentary pause.
"My turn," he said coldly, turning with ruthless precision.
His dagger pierced straight into the goblin's temple.
Without wasting a second, he yanked the blade free, leapt forward, and plunged it into another goblin's chest mid-air.
The rhythm of battle shifted.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, the goblins began to hesitate.
Fear crept into their eyes.
This was no longer prey.
This was something else.
Something they couldn't harm.
Something that slaughtered them without mercy.
The fight stopped being a battle.
It became a hunt.
The goblins broke.
They scattered in panic, sprinting in all directions, their shrieks echoing against the cave walls. But there was nowhere to go. The exits were blocked, the space closed.
They were trapped.
Trapped with a devil.
[Congratulations! You have instilled fear into the hearts of the snow goblins and received the uncommon title: Goblin Hunter]
Ethan didn't know how long it lasted.
Time had lost all meaning.
By the time it ended, silence had taken over the cave.
Bodies littered the ground—goblins sprawled in unnatural positions, blood staining the icy floor. The stench of death hung heavy in the air.
Ethan stood in the middle of it all, breathing slowly, staring at the aftermath.
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest: Killing 200/200 goblins]
[You have received the skill: Dash Strike]
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest: Destroy the goblin hideout]
[You have received the uncommon item: Farm Field (1 acre)]
[Congratulations! You have ranked up]
[Choose your class and complete the class change]
Knight
Assassin
Mage
Archer
Healer
Ethan frowned slightly as he read through the options.
"I thought you were a legendary system. What's with all these common classes?" he muttered, his tone laced with dissatisfaction.
After everything he had experienced so far, this felt… underwhelming.
[Host wishes to receive a higher-tier class?!]
[The more unique the class, the harder the test for the class change]
Ethan's lips curved into a confident smile.
"Do I look like someone who's scared of difficulty? Show me what you've got."
[Host is to choose from the following unique classes]
Puppeteer
Berserker
Summoner
Paladin
Necromancer
All Master
"Hmm…" Ethan muttered, scanning through the options carefully.
[Puppeteer]
Host can control puppets to fight. Others can be converted into puppets using puppet threads. Their will must be weaker than the host.
[Berserker]
A warrior who disregards defense, focusing entirely on offense. Attack power increases exponentially.
[Summoner]
Summon otherworldly beings or monsters to fight on your behalf.
[Paladin]
A knight with strength surpassing that of a healer. Possesses both combat power and healing abilities.
[Necromancer]
The power to control the fallen. Raise the dead and command them in battle.
[All Master]
You can master all professions. By maintaining contact with a target for five seconds, you can copy their class. Upon choosing this class, you will randomly master three unique class.
Ethan stared at the final option for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.
"Well… guess you already decided for me," he said, a grin forming.
"I choose the All Master class."
[All Master class chosen. Preparing test]
Ethan stood still, waiting as the system processed his decision.
[Test prepared. Initiating protocol and beginning the test]
Before he could react, the world around him twisted violently.
A strange force gripped his body, pulling him into something unseen. His surroundings blurred, stretched, and then completely collapsed.
In the next instant—
He was somewhere else.
[Welcome to the system independent space]
[Your test is beginning now...]
[Survive for one hour. You have three trials.]